


Two Bullets

by Faline (rubberbisquit)



Series: The Best of Us [1]
Category: Jericho (US 2006)
Genre: Canon for show and seasons 3 and 4, F/M, go read the comics, it's $5 on Amazon, seriously if you haven't read the comics you're going to be lost
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-30
Updated: 2016-06-30
Packaged: 2018-07-19 06:50:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7350364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubberbisquit/pseuds/Faline
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Most of the time, the moments that truly define our lives don't seem so momentous until they're behind us.  Like getting shipped to Jericho to hunt a terrorist.  Or the routine message you're handed on a random afternoon that you take without worry because you couldn't know it carries the news of your family's deaths.  Or the soft, comforting touch of a close (more-than) friend as you try to make sense of the Apocalypse, her fingers winding tightly through yours in support.  </p><p>Taking two bullets to the chest, though?  Definitely at the top of the list of Beck's defining life moments.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Two Bullets

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ShirleyAnn66](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShirleyAnn66/gifts).



> Current canon, including series and Seasons 3 and 4. I started a Jericho re-watch at the beginning of the week because it's on Netflix and this happened. I cheered sooooo loud when Heck became canon in the comics. So very pleased about that. I hope someone is still around to enjoy this. I hope my gift brings my wonderful friend ShirleyAnn out of hiding. Really, this one is for her and all the others over at beck_heather who have always known an awesome OTP when they saw one.

Something hardened in Palmer’s eyes that turned Beck’s blood to ice.  The spy gave an almost ironic quirk of the lips at Beck’s offer of a peaceful capture.  He sneered, “Surrendering isn’t really my style.”  Palmer was going to shoot.  _Protect her._

_Protect Heather.  Always._

 

Sixteen hours tied to a chair had made every muscle in Beck’s body ached and every muscle screamed as he launched himself in front of Heather.  Both of Palmer’s bullets hit him in the chest.  Eric returned fire and Palmer fled.  The ringing in his ears made the room buzz with a deafening quiet.  Seconds dragged by and then he could hear it, the high pitched panic of Heather’s voice, screaming his name.

 

The pain was overwhelming, something alive and thrumming with each beat of his heart.  He groaned as a pair of soft hands lifted his head to cradle it in Heather’s lap.  Her gentle touch ghosted down his chest, grazing just enough that he could tell she was inspecting his injuries.  Light enough that she wasn’t tending to the wounds.

 

“Hang on.  We’re gonna get you help.”  He looked up into her face and saw her terrified expression.  That worried him more than the two gaping gun shots in his torso.  Heather never gave up, never stopped fighting.  Beck tried to smile, tried to lift a hand to brush the hair out of her eyes.

 

“Hey, don’t worry.  Everything is going-“  Beck’s chest seized and the coppery taste of his blood filled his mouth.  Excellent.  He was bleeding into his lungs.  That explained the shortness of breath.  Heather held him through the sharp jerks.  When he settled she dropped a kiss to his forehead.

 

“You . . . _saved_ me.”  Heather’s voice was filled with that certain, awe-filled devotion Beck had come to love.  Had come to need, desperately, in an ever-increasingly uncertain world.

 

He gathered his strength to suck in enough air and rasp out his response, “I told you a life without you wouldn’t be worth living . . .”  It was getting harder and harder to breathe but he pushed on.  “And I still . . . stand . . . by that.”

 

The tears waiting in her eyes began to fall as she blinked once, hard, and shook her head.  “But what good is mine, if you’re not around?”  She brushed a splatter of blood from his cheek before pulling him in tighter.  He wheezed at the movement, his eyes growing heavy with pain and effort.  He could feel his heart beat slowing and fought with his body to maintain focus, to stay awake.  Just a few more moments before someone could find them a doctor.

 

In the back of his mind, Beck knew help wasn’t coming.  Eric hadn’t moved since he’d run out of bullets.  Heather had thrown herself at him as soon as she’d gotten free of the ropes binding her to the chair.  That left exactly no one to call Jake or his CO’s or a goddamn doctor.

 

Beck drew in another breath.  The sound was sickly to his ears, rusty and creaking.  A death rattle.  He’d held more than a few men as they’d made sounds like this.

 

He was going to die.  Soon.

 

“Heather-,“ he tried to focus on her beautiful, trusting face.  He wished he could remember a happy moment so he could wipe the look of agony she was giving him from his memory.  She’d gotten him through some dark days.  Who was going to get her through this?

 

“Shhh.  Don’t say anything more.  You need to relax.  It’ll help with the blood.”  Beck grunted when he felt sudden pressure on his chest.  His eyes widened even as the light seemed to dim around the edges of his vision.  Heather called his name; scared.  She sounded so scared. 

 

He tried to tell her it was okay, that everything would be alright, but the words couldn’t beat the oncoming darkness.

 


End file.
